In his sermon titled 'The Purpose for which Christ came into the World', Pastor Steve Hopkins emphasizes the central Christian belief that Christ Jesus came into the world specifically to save sinners. Drawing from 1 Timothy 1:15, he stresses that this is a 'faithful saying' worthy of full acceptance by all. The sermon highlights that while Jesus is often recognized as a great moral teacher and example, his primary mission was to provide salvation. Hopkins underscores the miraculous nature of Christ's incarnation, the profound act of God entering a rebellious world, and the eventual accomplishment of his mission at Calvary. The sermon calls for believers to embrace this truth with unwavering faith, acknowledging their unworthiness yet finding hope in Christ's redemptive work. Through references to the theological insights of Matthew Henry and John Calvin, and the musical masterpiece of Handel's Messiah, Hopkins reinforces the message of salvation and encourages believers to praise God for this gift of grace.

Welcome back to Burnet Bible Church. This Sunday, Pastor Hopkins gives his Christmas Day sermon entitled, The Purpose for Which Christ Came into the World. Good morning. Turn with me and your Bibles to 1 Timothy, Chapter 1, and we're going to be reading one single verse this morning together verse 15. Let's stand for the reading of the Word of the Lord, 1 Timothy, chapter 1, and verse 15.

Let's read together. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. Amen. Let's pray. Father, we are thanking you and praising you once again this morning, Lord, as we unite with our brothers and sisters all over the world to give thanks, Lord God, to you for sending your Son, to you Lord Jesus for coming to save sinners like us.

We're so grateful God help us to focus on you now as we explore this question of why our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world. For we ask it in Jesus name. Amen. Let's be seated. In the opening words of our passage this morning, we find the apostle Paul assuring a young man, a leader in the church, and one of the apostles' own converts to the faith, Timothy, that what he's about to declare to him is a faithful saying.

It is a statement that is true beyond any shadow of a doubt. It is a saying that can be fully trusted. It is a faithful saying, a faithful word. And therefore, he says, worthy or deserving of full acceptance by all who hear it. And it's this, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That Christ, which is the Greek form of the Hebrew word messiah, prophesied to come into the world, did come. And his name is Jesus. And he came into the world for a purpose. And the purpose for his coming into the world was to save sinners.

Matthew Henry calls this statement, quote, the sum of the gospel. This is the sum of the gospel that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. In our world today, if we hear anyone speak positively concerning Jesus at all, we hear things like this about him. We hear that Jesus of Nazareth was a good example to mankind. Where we hear that Jesus, who is Jesus and what did he come for?

Well, he's a man who came to be a great moral teacher. He came as our example, to be a great example to mankind. He came to be a great moral teacher. And Jesus, of course, was the greatest moral teacher ever. And he was the best example to mankind ever.

But that's not what Jesus came into the world for. It's not the purpose for which he came into the world. The purpose for which God's Son came into the world and was born of a virgin in a little town called Bethlehem 2, 000 years ago was to save sinners. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This is a faithful saying.

This is a statement you can put your trust in. It's fully trustworthy that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This is a faithful saying. This is a statement you can put your trust in. It's fully trustworthy.

That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. The apostle Paul speaking by the Holy Spirit reveals this to us. This truth concerning the purpose for which the Son of God came. And Paul says everyone who hears it should accept it without any reservation of mind, no matter their rank in a society or their status, whether they're rich or whether they're poor, free man or slave, no matter their background, cultural, heritage or ethnicity, everyone should fully accept this truth the moment they hear it. It is a saying worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.

But think about it for a moment, and I alluded to this for just a couple of minutes at the Christmas event that we had about a week ago. Think about this. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners But that he came into the world at all is amazing That he even came into the world at all that the eternally begotten of the Father Think about it the second person of the Holy Trinity, the second person of the triune Godhead, one with the Father, one with the Holy Spirit, God the Son, without beginning, without end, He by whom the worlds were framed and apart from whom there was not anything made that was made, John tells us, that he would step out of heaven and enter into the world that he created, that he came at all, That he would enter into a world that he created, a world that was at war with him, a world that was then rebellion against his crown rights. That he would come into such a world at all is amazing. It's beyond wonderful, beyond something to marvel and wonder at.

But then think on this, that he would come into the world to save sinners. Not only did he come into the world that he created that was in rebellion against him, but he also came into this world on a mission to save those who were in rebellion against him, and who were refusing to have this man Jesus to reign over them. Seems inconceivable. You know, he could have left every one of us to ourselves and to the corruption of our nature, dead in trespasses and sins, and on our way to eternal torment, and he would have been perfectly just in doing so. If he had not determined to save even one of us, he would have been perfectly just in doing so.

And yet it's true, it's a true and faithful word, a statement fully worthy of all trust, a truth worthy to be accepted by everyone and denied by no one, a fact clearly communicated to us by apostolic authority, and it's scripturated in the holy word of God, that God the Son, God of God, light of light, as the Christmas hymn goes, very God begotten, not created, the second person of the Holy Trinity of Horde, not the Virgin's womb, and came into the world and took on a human nature and he did so on a mission. All of this on a mission. A mission to save sinners. A mission to reconcile sinners to God. Sinners who deserve eternal punishment and who deserve the frowns of heaven for all eternity.

It is true. It's true. Christ Jesus came into the world to save such. Incarnated at Nazareth, born at Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary, God the Son came into the world on a mission to save sinners. I've said it so many times while preaching on the streets, the mission for which Christ came into the world was accomplished.

Mission accomplished. He accomplished the mission for which he came into the world. It was accomplished at Calvary, at a cruel Roman cross outside of Jerusalem, when the Son of God, Son of Man, fully and truly God, fully and truly man, in one person, Christ Jesus, without sin, suffered and died for sinners, making full satisfaction to the justice of God, do the people of God. Mission accomplished. Before he died, he even announced it.

He said it is finished. It is accomplished. The mission for which I've come into the world is accomplished. He finished it. He announced it.

He finished it. He accomplished it. Mission accomplished. What we owed but could not pay was paid by him who alone could pay it. That's the purpose for which the Son of God, Christ Jesus, came into the world.

That's the purpose for which the Son of God came down from heaven. That's the reason God's Son came to earth and was born at the little town of Bethlehem 2, 000 years ago. That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. That's what it's all about. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, and he accomplished the mission for which he came into the world.

And that's good news for fallen man because though it is true that we have all sinned and that every one of us continues to fall short of the glory of the perfect righteousness of God, which is required of every one of us, our hearts need not sink. We've all sinned, we've all fallen short of the glory of God, but our hearts need not sink Because of this one true and faithful fact which is worthy to be accepted by all that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners like us. Brothers and sisters we came into the world, we came into the world, lost in ourselves. We came into the world lost in ourselves. We came into the world lost and ruined to sinners without any hope in the world, But Christ Jesus came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost.

Every one of us came into the world violators of God's holy law, unworthy in ourselves to stand before God's holy presence. But Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. John Calvin writes in his commentary on this passage, let this preface be to our ears like the sound of a trumpet to proclaim the praises of the grace of Christ in order that we may believe it with a stronger faith. Let it be to us a seal to impress on our hearts a firm belief of the forgiveness of sins which otherwise with difficulty finds entrance into the hearts of men. In other words, it's hard for us to even believe it.

For although God the Father a thousand times offered to us salvation And although Christ himself preached about his own office, yet we do not on that account cease to tremble, or at least to debate within ourselves, if it could possibly be so. If it could actually be so, Calvin says. We have such a hard time accepting it. Wherefore, whenever any doubt shall arise in our mind about the forgiveness of sins, Let us learn to repel it courageously with this shield, that it is an undoubted truth and deserves to be received without controversy that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Our minds, said Calvin, are always impelled to look at our worthiness, right?

That's where we always go, we always go to our worthiness, our worthiness. And of course, we have no worthiness in ourselves or any righteousness whereby we may commend ourselves to God, know we're all sinners, violators of God's commandments, therefore only worthy of God's anger and punishment." And so Calvin says, as soon as our unworthiness is seen, that is by us, as soon as we get a glimpse of our unworthiness, Because we're trying to focus on our worthiness, on what we've done before God. As soon as we get a glimpse of our unworthiness, as soon as our unworthiness is seen, that is by us, our confidence sinks. Our confidence just sinks. Because we were focused on our worthiness.

Now we get a glimpse of our unworthiness. We come to despair looking at our worthiness and we end up looking at our unworthiness and focusing on our unworthiness, and our hearts sink. They just sink. Our confidence sinks. Therefore, accordingly, the more anyone is oppressed by his sins, let him the more courageously be take himself to Christ, says Calvin, relying on this doctrine that is before us this morning.

On this truth that Christ Jesus came to bring salvation not to the righteous, but to sinners." End quote. That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. To save us all from Satan's power When we were gone astray, as the hymn says, O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy, when we as the Apostle Paul are awakened to our dreadful loss and sinful condition and begin as the apostle did, to see ourselves as we are in reality, sinners before God, even the chief of sinners, that he's even in the worst class of sinners. We can then look upon Christ and embrace him in faith, who came into the world to save sinners like us. So that as Calvin says, quote, being lost in ourselves, we may receive salvation from him.

Oh, that we would praise and thank God this morning for his unspeakable gift, and be comforted as we would consider what great things God has done for us in sending his son to suffer and die for us or to rise again from the dead. Oh, that we might be reconciled to God if we've never known it. Anyone here, as one of the young men prayed earlier, if anyone doesn't know that this would be the day that they would be raised from spiritual death to spiritual life and reconciled to God once for all time. And may we all praise him who have been saved by his amazing grace. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners like us.

I thank God that he did. My favorite music piece to listen to each Christmas and even throughout the year is Handel's Messiah. Anyone else like to listen to Handel's Messiah? Written by George Friedrich Handel in 1741. The entire composition was accomplished in three weeks.

You look at this composition and it's absolutely astounding. It's like you'd have to almost say it's miraculous. He did it in three weeks, all the parts of it. Every word of the oratorio are taken from scripture, adapted from scripture. And I'm gonna ask Eric to come and read a section and then Josh and Levi, and then I'm going to finish it up and close.

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortable to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that cryeth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, yet once a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land, and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come. The Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to his temple. Even the messenger of the covenant whom you delight in, Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appearth, for he is like a refiner's fire. And he shall purify the sons of Levi that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name, Emmanuel, God with us. O thou that tell us good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain. O thou that tell us good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength. Lift it up, be not afraid. Say unto the cities of Judah, behold your God.

Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light, and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. For unto us a child is born, Unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, For behold, I bring to you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and earth peace, goodwill toward men.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold thy king cometh unto thee. He is the righteous Savior and he shall speak peace unto the heathen. Then shall the eyes of the blind be open and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an heart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, and he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Come unto him all ye that labor, come unto him that are heavy laden and he shall give you rest. Take his yoke upon you and learn of him For he is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest under your souls. His yoke is easy and his burden is light. Behold the Lamb of God, the taker of the way the sin of the world. He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

He gave his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. He did not hide his face from shame and spitting. Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities, And the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.

Oh, we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. All they that see him laugh him to scorn. They shoot out their lips and they shake their heads saying, he trusted in God that he would deliver him. Let him deliver him if he delight in him.

Thy rebuke hath broken his heart. He is full of heaviness. He looked for some to have pity, but there was no man. Neither found he any to comfort him. Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto his sorrow.

For he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgressions of thy people was he stricken. But thou didst not leave his soul in hell, neither didst thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, O ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord in battle, mighty in battle.

Under which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. Let all the angels worship him. Thou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men, yea, even for thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them. The Lord gave the word, great was the company of the preachers. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things.

Their sound has gone out into all lands and their words under the ends of the world. Why do the nations so furiously rage together and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed. Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their yokes from us. But he that dwelleth in the heavens shall laugh at them.

He shall laugh them to scorn. The Lord shall have them in derision. He shall break them with a rod of iron. He shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Hallelujah.

And the hallelujah chorus begins there. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.

Amen? King of kings and Lord of lords, hallelujah. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though worms Destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God For now is Christ risen from the dead the first fruits of them that slept Since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as an Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Behold, I tell you a mystery.

We shall not all sleep, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. The trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. And we shall be changed for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting?

O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, who giveth us the victory. If God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?

It's God that justifieth. Who is he that condemns? It's Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who is at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us. Worthy is the lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing blessing and honor glory and power be unto Him that sit upon the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever. Amen.

Let's pray. Father, as we close we want to thank you for giving us the greatest gift ever given to mankind, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank you God. And we thank you for this faithful saying, which we fully accept that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and that he came into the world to save us. And we thank you that he did.

In his name we pray, amen.